10 Awesome Things Science Discovered About Dogs in 2016
Here’s a rundown of ten fascinating insights science has revealed about dogs:
1. Dogs Understand Our Words
– A study showed that dogs comprehend more than just the tone of our voice; they actually understand many of the words we say. Brain scans of 13 dogs indicated that they process meaningful words using the left hemisphere of their brain, similar to humans.
2. Dogs May Have Episodic Memories
– Research involving 17 dogs found that they could remember and mimic their owners’ actions even an hour after learning them through a training method called “do as I do.”
3. Stress Causes Dogs to Go Grey Early
– Like humans, dogs can go grey prematurely due to stress. A study of 400 dogs aged 1-4 identified anxiety and fear of noises or unfamiliar people as key factors for early greying.
4. Playtime Boosts Dogs’ Memory
– Dogs that engaged in playtime immediately after learning something new showed improved memory retention. The study separated dogs into play and rest groups, and those that played performed significantly better when retested the next day.
5. Vocal Praise is as Rewarding as Food
– New research found that vocal praise is as rewarding to dogs as food treats. Out of 15 dogs, 13 showed the same level of brain activity for verbal praise as they did for receiving food.
6. Dogs Learn to Ignore Bad Directions
– A study demonstrated that dogs quickly learn to disregard unnecessary steps in a task. When shown how to retrieve a treat with an extra, pointless step, the dogs figured out and ignored the irrelevant step.
7. Dogs May Have Been Domesticated Twice
– Genetic and archaeological studies suggest dogs might have been domesticated not just once but twice—once in Asia and once in Europe. Analysis of DNA from ancient European dogs and modern dogs supports this theory.
8. Dogs Reduce Stress in Families with Autistic Children
– Having a dog in the home has been shown to significantly reduce stress in families with autistic children. This supports previous research highlighting the therapeutic benefits of dogs.
These insights highlight just how much we continue to learn about our canine companions and their incredible abilities.
